Integral mining locomotive



3, 1932- c. BETHEL INTEGRAL MINING LOCOMOTIVE Filed March 1'7. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR C/auae Be/hel.

ATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 17. 1950 I w l l l l l\ V Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 CLAUDE BETHEL, or WILKINSIBURG, PENNSYL ANI Ass GNon. To'wEs'rINeHoUsE' ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING ooMI'ANY, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA INTEGRAL MINING oooMoTIvE" v Application filed March 17, 1930. Serial No. 436,391.

My invention relates, in general, to electric locomotives and, more particularly, to small locomotives of a type suitable for mining service.

An object of my invention, generally stat ed, is to provide a locomotive which shall be simple and eiiicient in operation and which may be readily and economically manufactured. j

A more specific object of my invention is to provide for resiliently mounting, on the driving axles of a locomotive, an integral locomotive frame of which the motor housings form a part. 7

'Anotherobject of my invention is to provide for securing the axle-bearings of locomotives, it has been customaryto utilize a locomotive-frame structure comprising a frame which is resiliently mounted on the driving axles and serves to support independently mounted driving motors.

It has also been customary to mount the locomotive frame on the wheel axles by means of journal boxes that are disposed within pedestal jaws attached to the sides of the locomotive frame. The journal boxes are guided by the pedestal jaws in such manner that they are free to move vertically therein. The weight of the locomotive is carried by springs which are interposed between the tops of the journal boxes and the upper ends of the pedestal jaws.

According to this invention, the framesof the driving motors and the locomotive frame are cast integrally to form a unitary structure. By reason of this construction, the motor housingsare utilized for the double purpose of enclosing the motors and giving mechanical strength to the locomotive frame,

ciples of my invention;

frame and I j Fig. at is a view, in side elevation, of the locomotive frame shown in Fig. 3.

thereby providing a locomotive frame having a small number of'par'ts and of comparatively light and rigid construction.

In the present invention, the journal bear, i "'55 ings'are retained in their .proper operating position by means of a torque arm wh ch cooperates wlth a dlsc sprlng to prevent the bearing housing from rotating andf to limit the longitudinal and lateralmovement of the driving axle. This method of construction avoids the use of the pedestal jawsformerly provided to guide the journal boxesand thereby makes unnecessary the expensive planing making the pedestal guides. A

For a fuller understanding ofthe'nature and objects of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed I description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is'a top planview of a portion of an electric locomotive embodying the prin Fig. 2 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section,showing detailsof the'construction of a journal bearing and support- 11 2' sp Fig. 3 is a plan view of thejlocoriiotive In order to simplify the drawings, I have shown the details of construction of only a part of a locomotive that embodies my invention. The locomotive, as illustrated, comprises a unitary motor housing and frame 10 that is composed of a pair of motor-housing portions 11 formed integrally with the sideframe portions 12. A. combination bumper and draw-bar 13- may be provided at each end of the locomotive frame. 1 The bumpers may be cast integrally with thefram'e or and milling operations required in accompanying.

cast separately and attached" to the frame.

In order toprovide space for a. motormans.

compartment and for mounting the necessary control equipment. for operatingthe locomotive,.a platform 14 isprovidedwhich extends laterally from the side-frame me nbers 12. V I The locomotive frame is supported on a 6 a housing 18 having a cylindrical opening for receiving a bearing sleeve 19.

In structures of this type, any standard 7 lubricating system may be utilized. In the 10 pr de W h-- l a ng ys m c mp s ns anoil reservoir and at wick chamber lund and assigned to Westinghbu'se Enema present case, the journal bearings 17 are pro= such as are embodied in the oil-sealed lubrication device disclosed in Patent N'o.1-,53f

560, issued to Claude Bethel and Edwin Tid and Manufacturing Company. a

' Ifiorder to" resiliently support the locomotive frame 10, springs 23 21-6 interposed between thetop portion of each journal beargoing 17 and the frame 10. v The SPlfiIl'gs 23 are "of the disc type disclosed by Winston A. 'B'recht in copendi'ng application, Serial No.

filed July 18, 1928,11ow Patent No. 1,826,597, issued ()ctob'er't, 1931, and as- 215 signed to westing'hous'e' Electric and Manufacturing Co p y j h rsprifi's are com",

posed ofainiiul'ar discs ofradially tapered "ross section which are stacked with suitable iirg members in axial ali'n'em'ent to form a spring system of any desired height and resilience, I v V 7 Y "'S'ifce' the spring mechanisms, as thus constructed, possess lateral stability or resistmeets forces at. an angle to the axis of the w-spring,- they may be utilized to limit the jamnalboxes 17 to motion in substantially a traiffsverseplaneof the locomotive frame 10 illfid improper l'of1g"ituldinal relation thereto, t-hereby restraining the lateral and longitudinal movement of the driving axles 15.

i In order to'prevent the bearing housing 18 item rotating about the axle 15, 11: is rovided with a torque arm 2 1 which is" attached tothe frame 10" by means of 111gs25 and ze. In order to permit the axle 15 to have free monetary movement, so that the wheels 16 can, pass over irregularities in a track, the end of the torque arm 24 is retained between th 1'ug's'25 and 26 by means of a ball-andsemen joint 27. g l n It willjbe seefnthat the torque arm 24 and fthejdis'c springzs cooperate to restrain the axle115 from movement in a horizontal direction, relative to the frame 10, but movement of the axle in asubstan tially vertical direction. 7

In order to transmit power from the armature shafts, which are mounted in the housings 11, to the resiliently mounted driv- =ing '-axle1=; 1-5, spherical-1y seated flexible gear wheels "28,- similar-to theo'ne shown in my :IPatent No.-y1,602,298, maybe utilized; Such g1e"ar wheels, as disclosed in the patent, ar adapted forthe transmission of power be operating parts; wi

tween shafts which are subjected to condiwithout removing the wheels and axles from the locomotive, the frame is so shaped that, with the sandboxes S'OireIIio'ved the wheels,

together with the bearings and t e gear case, may be rolled forward far enough for the wheels to clear thehousingsand permit the flrmatu e 3 to; e remove .Incas it comes necessary to remove a motor armature,

the locomotive frame may be raised, by

means of jacks or other tools, to remove its "weight frai -the i journal bearings. The

torque urns 24 may then be released by re "moving th lugs 26 from the frame; andthe wheels rel-l d; ijorward as de seribedabove,

"Although I have described a'specific' embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious "toithose' skilled the art that various modt ficaftions may be made-in the details of constructinandiii-the arrangement of the coin the appended claims,

1 cl im; is e 1 In a railway eomotivei, in; c 'mbination,

member, "motor provided with an armature 'shaftni'o nted the housing," means for transm i power from thaimature shaft to the/wheel axle, and means for normally refstrl'ct'ingth axle to substantially ver treal movements relative: to the frame,said

means being dis p'os'd toperfnitfthe wheel axle an integralmotor housing and frame mem- "her, a pluralityofi wheel axles-for carrying said member, a plurality of motors having thout' departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as d'efine'd "as integral housing and locomotive frame member, a wheel axlefoncarrymgsaid I, V V V 2., Inaralrwaylo'comotw, in combination, 7

independent armature shafts mounted in the, 1

housing, means-for transmitting power from i "the armature, shaftsto the'wheel axles, and

means for normally restricting the wheel "axles to substantially vertical movements relative tothejfrafiie, said means being disposed to permit the wheel axles to be moved longit'udinally of the frame as, permit-the motor armatures to be removed from the motor housifig 1 3. In a railway vehicle, incombination, an integral jmcssor hausing' and vehicle frame member, a wheel axlrq carryingsai'd-mem her, "a motorprovided with an armature shaft mounted in the housing, a plurality of gears for transjiiiitting' power from- .the' armature shaft to the wheel axle, resilient means supporting the jvehicleframe on the axle, and awrqueami disposed tofcooper-ate with said resilient 'ineanstoimrmallyrestrict the We h le i i fia1 v n sw h respect to the frame, said torque arm being disposed to permit the wheel axle to be moved longitudinally of the frame when the weight of the vehicle is removed from the resilient 5 means to permit the motor armature to be removed from the motor housing.

4. In a railway vehicle, in combination, an integral motor housing and vehicle frame member, a plurality of wheel axles for carry- 10 ing the frame, a plurality of motors having independent armature shafts mounted in the housing, a plurality of gears for transmitting power from the armature shafts to the wheel axles, spring means comprising a plu- 15 rality of annular discs of radially tapered cross section for supporting the vehicle frame on the axles, and torque arms disposed to cooperate with said spring means to normally restrict the axles to substantially vertical movements with respect to the frame, said torque arms being disposed to permit the wheel axles to be moved longitudinally of the frame when the weight of the vehicle is removed from the spring means to permit the motor armatures to be removed from the motor housings.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of March 1930.

CLAUDE BETHEL. 

